Names
by G w E n Z i L L a
Summary: Established!274/362 AU. Rachel thought pushing him to spend time with his friends on a night out of drinking would be a much more exciting birthday celebration than spending it with her. Chad, however, thought otherwise.


**Author's note:** Trying something different with my writing style! And because it doesn't really have anything to do with KND/TND, I put this up as a separate story away from my vignettes. I had this scene play out in my head for a while now. I also haven't seen much established!274x362 so this was sort of fun to play with.

 **Summary:** Established!274/362 AU. Rachel thought pushing him to spend time with his friends on a night out of drinking would be a much more exciting birthday celebration than spending it with her. Chad, however, thought otherwise.

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Her attempts to send him off to a more exciting birthday celebration for not so legal drinks with Maurice and Cree are left ignored on the insistence he'd rather spend his birthday quietly with her.

Rachel is only slightly self-conscious she is not fun company, _especially_ now that her boyfriend of two and a half years is in his first year of college. Absorbed in the years of teasing Chad's given her for being too much of a stickler for rules and responsibility, he jokingly reassures her that he would choose her "boring" (he air-quotes) company over an embarrassing birthday dinner (with all the singing waiters, waitresses, and the restaurant _mascot_ ) with his parents anyday. She actually enjoys spending time with his crazy mother and father, and snickers at the mention of the previous year's shenanigans. Rachel gives up trying to push him into a loud celebration anyway.

He further extinguishes his high school girlfriend's doubts away by suggesting they spend his birthday the way they used to when they were kids. Something simple, something unproblematic.

Chad's roommate is gone doing God knows what when they're sitting on the floor of his dorm room that Friday night. After take out, she entertains his love of board games in the form of _The Game of Life_. Rachel loves the recreational activity just as much, if she's to be honest with herself, finding a satisfying pleasure in besting him and wiping the fixed smirk off his face. _Life_ , though not as aggressively competitive compared to _Risk_ , _Battleship_ , _Monopoly_ , or even _Scrabble_ , it's still a game she intends to win.

The expression on his face is as fixed as ever, as her lips form an adorable little pout over the board and the tile she lands on. Her little plastic car is no longer able to accomodate any more stick children, but Rachel finds a way to attach her new pair of twins to the little vehicle anyway.

"If I were really to have these many kids in real life, I'm starting to think _numbering_ them is the better option than giving them real names," she muses out of dry humor.

The look Chad gives her is one of amusement concerning the topic of conversation when she motions him to spin the small wheel. "I'm pretty sure that's illegal somewhere. That wouldn't sit well with you, wouldn't it?" he stifles a chuckle. "But you do that anyway and tell me what happens when they're laughed out of kindergarten."

"Oh shush. I wouldn't actually do that, _but_ numbering them is probably better than what you would torture one of your kids with. Let me guess… Chad Junior?" Rachel realizes they have never actually spoken about whether his future included children or not; those kinds of things just usually don't come up between the two of them. It's a scary thought. The two point five years they spent as a couple and the additional years of just knowing each other easily pass by living in the moment. From what she's seen with his little cousins, however, he's really good with kids.

"You really think I'm that lame and self-centered to name my child after me?" She cheekily smiles at him with her eyes all squinty, while he shakes his head. Chad collects his in-game salary before continuing. "For your information, I wouldn't. I'd name my kid something cool like Lysander… or King."

Rachel's eyes narrow in unsureness of the latter. "Really? King? King Dickson? You name like a rapper… or one of those reality show celebrities."

"Like you have better names," he challenges under his breath as he watches her spin and then move her tiny plastic vehicle ahead more tiles. "What would you name your children then, hypothetically speaking, if you were to have any?"

She hums at his question, pretending like she had never given it a thought. Chad would probably think she were weird if she answered too fast. The truth is she's known what she's wanted to name her children since she were twelve. "Ah, I don't know… maybe Stella, or Luna. Nothing like King… or _Queen_. Gosh. And you're the one telling me my _numbered_ kids would get bullied on the playground."

"Stella? Luna? Aren't you taking your love for the stars, moon, and everything space a little too far?" Chad teases. The game comes to a halt when he doesn't even spin and he just looks at her.

Rachel scowls. "Stop making fun of me, you jerk."

Chad leans over the board to kiss the look off her face. He smiles at her flustered response, with a genuine charm that erases her previous expression. "I'm not making fun of you," he says. "Stella Dickson. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think? I, for one, personally like it."

She feels the heat spread across her cheeks as she flushes for the millionth and first time since knowing him. Rachel looks away so he doesn't see her beaming like an idiot. Is this how he charmed the girls before her? She didn't particularly care, because right now is the real deal. "Yeah. It sounds nice."

"But I get to name the next one."

"If I let you," she eyes him for a few seconds.

Chad lunges over the game board to her side, knocking the cars, people pieces, and cards off their rightful places. She was silly for ever thinking he needed to go out and drink with his friends to have fun. Having his way with her was _anything_ but boring.

"I really hate you sometimes," Rachel smiles through his kisses. His lip linger over to her cheek, her neck, and shoulder.

"But you can't hate me today. It's my birthday," he utters out, distracted by the mischievous glint in her eyes that mirrored his. "And, well, because I love you."


End file.
